Dementia@Home

On this page

• Overview
• Person-centred Care
• Care provision, Integration and continuity
• Providing Information
• Listening to and involving people
• Equity in access
• Equity in experiences and outcomes
• Planning for the future

We assessed all the quality statements in the Responsive key question.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Relatives told us staff understood what was important to people and provided care in the way they want it.

The registered manager told us the service responded to people’s needs on each visit. They did not have a set list of tasks to be completed and choice was at the heart of all decisions made.

Relatives told us staff worked well with other services to ensure people received continuity of care.

Staff said they worked with a small number of people, which enabled them to get to know people and provide continuity of care.

Health and social care professionals told us the service worked well to ensure continuity of care for people. One professional commented, “Their skills and experience ensure they can respond quickly, effectively and flexibly to the needs of a diverse client base. They embody the personalised care approach to life”.

The service was small and had a core group of care workers who visited the same people consistently. The registered manager told us they mostly supported people with dementia and wanted to make sure people had a continuity with their care. People had care workers who had been matched to them. The registered manager told us they took time to make sure people had a member of staff who had similar interests and personalities.

Relatives said the service was responsive and did not raise any concerns about the information they received from the provider.

If people needed information in different formats the registered manager told us the provider had systems in place to organise this. This included information in different languages and different formats. Staff demonstrated a good understanding of people’s communication needs.

Since 2016 all organisations that provide publicly funded adult social care are legally required to follow the Accessible Information Standard (AIS). The Accessible Information Standard tells organisations what they have to do to help ensure people with a disability or sensory loss, and in some circumstances, their carers, get information in a way they can understand it. It also says that people should get the support they need in relation to communication. We found the provider was meeting the AIS. People’s communication needs were recorded, and provision was made to make sure people had information that was suitable for their needs.

Relatives told us they were aware how to raise any concerns or complaints and were confident the management team would take their issues seriously and respond.

The registered manager told us they regularly reviewed feedback shared by people and families about the service and any concerns people had.

The provider had a complaint policy and process to manage any complaints. The registered manager kept a log of all complaints made and actions taken in response.

Relatives did not specifically comment on equity in access but were consistently positive about the responsiveness of the service.

The registered manager told us staff supported people where needed to access local services and ensure they were aware of benefits they were entitled to.

Health and social care professionals were positive about the support people received to ensure equity in access. One professional commented, “Their system knowledge means that they can make onward referrals where necessary and support people during transition between services”.

The assessments completed before people started using the service included the accessibility of people’s home and whether any adaptations or equipment were needed. These assessments were regularly reviewed and updated where needed.

Relatives told us the provider supported people to access external health services.

The registered manager told us they recognised the barriers people living with dementia may face. People were supported to access services, local communities and healthcare by staff where this was needed. Staff had been supported to complete equality and diversity training.

The provider’s mission statement outlined their ethos in striving to ensure people received good quality, reliable care that improved people’s lives. The assessment process included a check of whether there were any unmet needs for people and signposted them to other services where relevant.

People had been supported to express their wishes about future care needs, which were recorded in care records.

Staff were aware of people’s wished for the future, for example whether people wanted to go to hospital for further treatment or whether they had a ‘do not attempt resuscitation’ plan in place. Staff knew where people kept documents relating to their decisions.

Nobody was receiving end of life care at the time of this assessment. The registered manager told us they had provided this type of care in the past and would make sure wishes and needs were recorded.